


i never meant to hurt you

by bickz



Series: The 25 Days of Ficmas '18 [5]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Comfort, Crying, Drabble, Friendship, Guilt, Hugs, Hurt, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-23 19:22:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17689361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bickz/pseuds/bickz
Summary: They've all just been sentenced with expulsion from Shujin Academy, but Mishima Yuuki has more on his conscience than being expelled.





	i never meant to hurt you

**Author's Note:**

> coming out of my cage...and ive not been doing fine ((((,:

The seething threats of expulsion from Kamoshida reverberate in Akira’s ears. He hasn’t even been at Shujin for a month, and he’s already gone and fucked it all up. Akira, just having left the heinous coach’s office, walks through the halls of Shujin in a sort of daze, feeling a tad dizzy, a bit nauseated, and like there’s something thick lodged in his throat. Ryuji is in an utter rage, kicking trashcans on their way out of the school as a way to cope with their unfair situation. But, Yuuki is unnervingly quiet about the whole thing, meekly trailing behind the duo as they exit the school. Just outside, they part ways, Ryuji opting to walk home alone and try to calm himself down.

Akira remains silent, merely nodding his farewell to Ryuji before turning in the direction of the train station without so much as a glance at Yuuki. The transfer student’s mind is in a whirlwind as he processes what just happened, the consequences of their arrogance, the exposure of Yuuki’s part in this all, and the solutions that he must come up with to save all of their asses -- no, to save the entire fucking school. There’s no time for a reckless outburst or to lash out and make more enemies over something so insignificant. They have bigger fish to fry.

“U-uhm, Kurusu-kun?”

If Akira wasn’t so attentive (or was less empathetic) he surely would have missed Yuuki’s quiet mumbles and have kept walking. Instead, he stops in his tracks and turns to look over his shoulder at the smaller boy.

“I-I’m...I’m sorry. About all of it,” Yuuki goes on, stumbling over his words and looking down at his feet. He’s already such a skinny, short boy, but with how he’s hunched down, as if trying to curl in on himself, he just blends into the scenery, totally loses all presence and is no more a person than the trees and pavement. “I-I said th-those awful things...about y-you, and Sakamoto-kun, a-a-and Takamaki-san. A-and I let K-Kamosh--  _ him _ do... _ th-that _ to Shiho-san--” He stops to breathe, ragged and wet. “I-I never...I never meant to hurt you...o-or anyone.”

Akira feels a pull, like a magnet, urging him to angle his body towards Yuuki, to face this poor boy and his giant bag of repressed emotions that weighs heavily upon him. In the afternoon light, it’s clear to see the wetness of escaped tears on Yuuki’s cheeks, glistening innocently, and Akira can feel his chest tightening. As Yuuki speaks up again, his voice cracks, strains, sounds about ready to break. He repeats his apology, over and over again, getting quieter and quieter, his words dissolving into pathetic whimpers.

“I’m so sorry. I’m s-sorry, I’m sorry, I-I’m sorry, I’msorry, I’msorryI’msorryI’m--” 

Without a word, Akira crosses the distance between them and deftly wraps an arm around the back of Yuuki’s head to pull the sobbing boy against his chest. He can feel Yuuki tense up and immediately try to back away, instinctual fear seeming to seize him. Akira doesn’t let the other boy go, bringing another arm around to fully embrace him, to engulf Yuuki in his warmth, to shield him with his arms. Yuuki continues to squirm, still crying, hiccuping between sniffles, but he doesn’t seem panicked or urgent.

“Wh-what are you--”

“It’s okay, Yuuki-kun,” Akira murmurs softly, leaning forward to press his mouth against Yuuki’s head. “You did nothing wrong. I have nothing to forgive you for.” 

“B-but I--”

“Shhh, it’s okay.”

Silence falls over them, save for Yuuki’s stifled whimpers as he buries his face into Akira’s chest. He relaxes some, lets himself continue sobbing out his guilt, the wet heat of his tears soaking straight through Akira’s shirt, but he doesn’t mind. Akira coos soothingly to Yuuki, petting over his hair and back, holding him closely, protectively. They may have only just met, yet Akira is fully prepared to put his life down for this boy.


End file.
